What is a good area of the hotel to stay in if we want close access to the Poly monorail and/or bus stop? Or...is an area close to the pool better? What would be your pick?
No one area is better than another, but the closer you are to the lobby, the less walking you will do. Once you hit the lobby, it is about a 10-15 min walk to the Poly - unless you can catch the Shady Shuttle.
If you want to be near the pool, request the older section. Don't worry about the rooms being better or worse, they are the same.
Is the end of October a good time to go?
We went in mid-October last year, and it was great. Still warm, but not too warm. In the past, we have had days that time of year when a light jacket was necessary, so you might consider taking one.
My dad got a rate of $106 per night - can other discounts be applied or not?
Like others have said, there are no additional discounts like
AAA or AP.
Any other tips/ advice you could give on this hotel?
If you plan on walking to Poly like we did (we only used the SoG busses one time) make sure to give yourself a 10-15 min pad for the walk. Also, that walk seems substantially longer going back to SoG after you've been in a park all day.
We always use our car to go to MGM, AK and the water parks. I just don't care much for riding on the busses - at any resort.
Plan to buy some souveniers a the AFFES shop in SoG. Prices are lower than the Disney resorts or the parks, and you don't have to pay sales tax. There is less selection though. I suggest going to AFFES first, look at what they have, then look in the parks or other resorts. That way, if you see something in a
Disney store that you want, you already know if AFFES has it or not.
Plan to eat one night at the Garden Gallery - great food at a very reasonable price.
Have fun!